


Unguarded

by Mask



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Action & Romance, Celebrations, Edo Period, F/M, Falling In Love, Guards, Humour, Strange Circumstances, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4607493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mask/pseuds/Mask
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Knuckle, Morel, and Shoot work as hired swords for various clients. They've built up a reputation for their unique skill sets. Word of their ability spreads, and they capture the interest of an influential family, the Enoshima.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Weak Mornings, Harrowed Missions

**Author's Note:**

> For [sunsinourhands](http://sunsinourhands.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you for supporting me during this difficult time.

It was raining when he first opened his eyes. His fingers curled against the sheets, and every part of him screamed to stay asleep. Okay, probably not screamed – but definitely resisted. It was one of those nice Friday mornings where the world was trying to lull him in. Honestly, it was winning. He closed his eyes and gave himself another thirty minutes. The sky was caught between a light drizzle and a heavy stream by the time Shoot finally sat upright. He rubbed his face to coax away the grogginess and tried to shake off the temptation to sleep in longer. He dropped his hand to the bed cot once again, and Knuckle mumbled something off to his left, voice slurred by sleep. It was either "Good morning", "You're up…", or some other combination of words Shoot couldn't come up with.

Right before Shoot could respond with a standard greeting, they jolted in unison at the loud _clang_ outside their door. Their eyes opened fully, hearts pounding in their chests, and focused on the entrance to their room. The door slid open, and Morel smirked as he stared at them. His hand was sticking out of sight, probably resting where he smacked it against the doorframe. Shoot relaxed at the sight of his teach, though he really didn't appreciate the scar. Morel spoke, and the words filtered in and out of Shoot's head like a weaving snake. Some parts he understood. Somehow. He fought for awakeness and found his voice was strong enough to say, "Aye". Morel disappeared out of view shortly after. Apparently, that was the right answer. Knuckle grumbled something again and set his feet down on the tatami mat, standing and stretching his body. Shoot laughed and followed his companion's lead.

Later that morning, Shoot was completely aware. Breakfast settled nicely in his stomach, and mind completely turning with the proper gears. He noticed that the rain had stopped completely. The world was wet and smelled like wet flowers… _and fish_. He scrunched up his nose briefly as Knuckle rolled up his sleeve. A large hand swatted against Shoot's back, jolting him to attention.

          “Just keeping you on your toes,” Morel stated with a joke. “You look a bit out of it.”

          “Do I?” Shoot asked, blinking at the older man. “I think the breakfast woke me up a bit.”

          “Did it?” A counter question. “I was talking to you for a minute now, and you didn't say anything.”

It was possible, yes, that Shoot was a bit out of it.

          “Ah, my apologies.”

          “No problem.” Morel turned his head as Palm entered the room. “I have an announcement for you and Knuckle later, so make sure to be awake by then!”

Shoot nodded his head and made the promise that he would, in fact, be more aware later. Thankfully, it was a promise it he was able to keep. It was early afternoon when the announcement came. Shoot was counting off with a soroban, keeping track with his fingers before adjusting a disc. Knuckle watched him on the other side, correcting the other male when his math was off. Shoot listened to his friend, trying to absorb information as the lesson went on. These little lessons were routine by now, and it was easy when they first started. Knuckle managed to keep it very simple, breaking down things step by step to very basic degrees. But the lessons went on and as their jobs became more important, Knuckle's teaches became more intensive. Shoot had to pause every now and again to get his friend to rewind or speak slowly.

This was one of those times. Knuckle was absorbed in his own mind, almost forgetting the lesson. Shoot raised up his hand, brow muscles creased together.

          "Ah, can you go a little slower? You lost me at the second half."

Knuckle paused then, placed his hands on his thighs, and took in a deep breath. He let it out slowly and closed his eyes before trying again.

          "Right. One more time then. Grab the soroban."

          Shoot nodded and did as he was told easily.

          Knuckle opened his eyes at the rattling and watched before speaking again. "Shift the second bar all the way to this end." He pointed to the left.

          Shoot once again did as he was told.

          "Move the third row to _this_ end." Once Shoot did that, Knuckle placed his hand perpendicular to the tool as if cutting it in half. "Take half of this and move it to this end."

Knuckle moved his hand towards his right. Shoot's fingers hovered in the air for a moment. He waited until Knuckle moved his hand before reacting. He stared blankly at the counting tool, trying to access exactly what he was directed to do. Math, he feared, would never be his strong point. Knuckle placed his hand back on his knee, watching his companion move carefully.

          "Do you know what you did there?"

          Shoot shook his head. "… Not entirely," he replied unsurely.

          Knuckle sighed. "Okay, the easiest way to explain this would be…"

And then the teaching started again. Shoot drummed his fingers against his thigh as he listened. He appreciated that Knuckle spoke slower this time, pausing and asking questions to make sure Shoot understood. Shoot answered, a small smile setting on his face. Knuckle walked him through the process step by step, and it was almost as if they had just started the math lessons. If they weren't guards, Shoot wondered if Knuckle would ever consider being a teacher. He thought to bring it up in later conversations but then quickly dismissed the notion.

Knuckle reached a hand up and scratched the back of his neck. There was a pause as he tried to figure out to phrase his thoughts. Shoot lifted his hand just as Knuckle started to speak again. Knuckle stopped, lips pressed together.

          "I think that's enough for today,” Shoot offered. “I have a lot to process."

          Knuckle sighed through his nose and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Good. Shoot could get used to that, in and out of the context of math. Though, in was definitely more appreciated currently. He lifted the soroban upside down and shook it. All the discs slid to one side at his coercion. He set the counting device down in front of Knuckle, who took it in his hands. Shoot lifted his head and stared off towards the cloudy sky. He wondered if and when it would rain again. A part of him hoped that it wouldn't. The rain made him lazy and sometimes contemplative. He drummed his fingers against his hakama, letting his thoughts idle uselessly on the weather. It was such a bland topic, but it kept him preoccupied for a time. A nice break after dealing with all that math.

Not too long into Shoot's musings did Morel knock on the door frame, signaling his arrival. Shoot roused at the more gentle noise and sat up straighter. Morel came to join them on the terrace. Knuckle nodded his head to Morel, moving to sit properly in seiza. Shoot placed his hand upon the ground, shifting himself to face their teacher as well. When he was properly positioned, he and Knuckle sat side by side. Morel glanced between the two of them before he told them the news.

          "We've been called to protect the Enoshima family."

Knuckle and Shoot sat up straight. Enoshima. That was a very important name. They were one of the most influential families their side of the river. The Enoshima didn't stack up very high in the greater hierarchy, but for sectional power, they had a lot of give.

          “With all do respect, what do they need _our_ protection for?" Shoot asked.

          “When did this happen?” Knuckle piped up.

Morel crossed his arms and took in a deep breath. He took the two questions with ease. "I asked myself the same thing at first.” He rubbed his hand against his bicep. “You see, they sent representatives to come speak with me. They came last night while you two were sleeping." Morel peered between the two, watching their faces. "From what I understand, they're having a feud with another family. Something we can expect when it comes to powerful sorts."

Knuckle and Shoot nodded their heads.

          "But, as it turns out," Morel continued with a sigh, "they're worried about the daughter's safety. I was told that her safety, specifically, was threatened, and they don't want to take any risks." He relaxed his arms, hands falling in his lap. "Now they're on high alert. They have enough pull in our village to get whoever they want, but they believe we'll be able to withstand the –" He paused, rolling his hand in a circle. "– 'supernatural warfare.'"

Shoot and Knuckle shot each other a briefly concerned look. Knuckle rubbed his chin, thinking on it for a moment. Shoot looked back to their teacher, hesitating as the word fell from his lips.

          "Super… natural?"

          Morel nodded. "The Enoshimas think they're being cursed by the other family. I can't be certain on the details as the representatives didn't tell me much.”

Knuckle and Shoot relaxed, sitting properly in seiza with slackened postures. It was one thing to be called upon by such a family. The Enoshima weren't strong in battle, but they had a lot of sway throughout the riverside villages. It was ambivalent what this opportunity could mean for the three of them and also what high brow drama they were about to get into.

Shoot stared down at his hand. It rested palm up on his leg. He curled his fingers slightly as he processed the information. There wasn't much, but he was almost reflecting on his emotions. Concern and wariness were his top two. The fact that there wasn't enough information given to them concerned him, understandably. He was wary because he didn't want them getting pulled into something messy. There was always a chance when it came to their line of work, but this was more daunting.

After sorting through his mind, he lifted his head and stared at Morel.

          "When do we leave?" Shoot asked.

          "Soon. They gave us time to clear up any outstanding missions we may have." Morel turned his head to his left, peering up at the clouds. "We'll leave in two days when the weather is more favourable."

Knuckle and Shoot stared at Morel before nodding their head in agreement. They didn't think about the weather unless Morel was the one who brought it up, and they never questioned why it was important. There was something about Morel where he could always tell the weather. It was just a strange intuition he had. They learned to roll with it long ago. Knuckle closed his eyes and adjusted himself on his legs. Shoot turned his hand and pressed his palm against his thigh. Morel stood up.

          "I'll consult Palm before we head out, ask her if there's anything we need to watch out for." He dusted himself off as he spoke.

          Knuckle brought his head up. "She's not coming with?"

          "Not feeling well, she says. So, she can stay and keep watch of the house."

Knuckle let out a low noise and placed his hand down on the terrace, knuckles resting against the wood. Morel nodded to him, cast a glance to Shoot, and placed his hands within his sleeves. One hand scratched against his wrist.

          "One thing that's good about this break is that we get to handle all of our business," Morel stated. He laughed then, the sound rumbling through his chest. He placed his hands down at his sides. "The other thing is that they don't _know_ we don't have business currently. So enjoy your free two days."

It was a delightful loophole, and a welcomed excuse to calm down before the mission. Shoot smiled as did Knuckle. Shoot was just about to go over his mental list of things to do before Morel spoke again.

          "I'll set out a list of training for you two to crack down on after supper." Morel turned towards the door. "And there will be a basic outline for the next two days as well. Don't want you two to be idle."

          Knuckle scoffed and leaned forward. "What about taking it easy?!"

Shoot was suddenly very glad for Knuckle's quick reactions. He felt the same without having to express it.

          Morel laughed and stepped through the doorway. "That _is_ easy. You'll see when you get it. I can't let you two get lazy, can I?"

          "He's right about that, but at least we have a little while before we train."

Shoot lifted his head, facing Knuckle. The black haired guard stared at his friend conspiratorially. Knuckle nodded with a soft, agreeing grunt. He moved and placed the soroban down in front of Shoot.

          "In the mean time, let's get back to this. I want to review a few exercises with you."

Shoot sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as he did. Of course, there was no escaping this. He stood up and headed to the right, walking down the terrace.

          "I'll be right back. I'll get us some pillows to rest on," he said, casting a glance over his shoulder.

At this rate, they were going to be practicing for a while and training all day. Might as well get comfortable while there was still a chance and while the day was still young.


	2. Future Seer, People Pleaser

Two days passed by quickly, and Shoot wasn't surprised at all to be honest. As planned, he spent time wrapped in Morel's training schedule, which he easily integrated into his daily schedule. Again, it wasn't a surprise. Morel had a flair for making even the most mundane task seem like training. Knuckle started off strong. He took it in stride, but the effects of his schedule were quick to hit him. Yesterday ad again today, he slept through most of his morning. For reasons Shoot couldn't fathom, Morel was allowing it. Shoot figured he should do the same.

He peered at the sleeping form before lifting his head up towards the circular window. The rain had come just as Morel predicted, and it was already clearing up. There were still fat, steady droplets that threatened something more but never followed through. Shoot pulled himself up from his bed and headed over to a window. He stuck his hand out and admired the sleepy warmth of the outside.

Rain splashed into his palm; a round, heavy bead broke against his pad of his middle finger. Water rolled over the curve of his fingers, some slipping into the ridges and bends of his digits. Shoot watched with expressionless interest. He pulled his hand back to himself and ran his wet fingers over his bottom lip and at the corner of his eyes. Waste not, right?

Knuckle roused not too long after that. This time the morning greeting was a bit more coherent on both ends — and there was no Morel to abruptly make sure they were awake. The rain completely settled as they dressed. Knuckled secured his hakama around his waist. He placed his hands on his waist and looked towards Shoot, who was moving a bit slowly this morning. One could blame his recent lethargy, but in this case, his training made his muscles a bit sore.

          "You alright?" Knuckle asked.

          Shoot turned towards the other guard, nodding. "Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

          "This whole thing just bugs me, you know." Knuckle lowered his hands, moving to pull on his haori. "We've _protected_ people who were being targeted by the Enoshimas. I'm just finding this whole thing to be strange.”

Shoot remembered that. It wasn't often that they were given missions of similar types, especially back to back. Their clients were usually people who feared the ramifications about crossing the Enoshima. Nothing usually happened, but the fear was so palpable, so thick each time. The fact that the Enoshima never did anything but had their opposition trembling in fear was a good sign. For them; for Shoot and his friends, this could mean a number of things. Shoot worried how this family would be in person. Unreasonable at worst, unforgiving at best. He chewed the inside of his cheek just thinking about it. Knuckle sighed softly as he righted his clothing.

          "We'll just have to be careful," Shoot stated finally, filling the silence that settled.

          "Aye." Knuckle smoothed his sleeves over his arms.

Shoot pulled on his haori as well. Knuckle helped silently, making sure everything fit in its proper place before he pulled away. Finally, they were ready.

They joined Palm and Morel for breakfast in the common room, sitting with the doors slid open. Breakfast was a relatively simple affair. Palm sat at the head of the table, keeping mostly to herself due to her illness. She chimed in when she could but overall was encouraged not to push herself. Morel did his checks for Knuckle and Shoot, making sure the two had finished their conditioning. Also, he wanted to make sure he wasn't derailing their private tutoring – he specifically addressed this to Knuckle. Shoot sighed through his nose as the two talked about Shoot's progress with math. It was almost as if he wasn't there. Yes, at some point, he would bring up teaching as a part time career. Knuckle was a natural. Shoot glanced over to Palm, silently checking on her and seeing how she was gauging the conversation. She wasn't at all.

Palm was sipping her tea quietly. She had four blankets layered over her shoulders like layers of juban. Her hair, usually tied behind her back, was completely out. It cascaded over her shoulders and down her front. No one had said anything about her relaxed appearance, but they were a tad concerned. Her already pale skin had lost more colour during the course of her illness. She reached up a hand, taking the layers in an iron grip and pulling them properly over her shoulders. When their eyes met, Shoot gave her a bit of a smile. She huffed softly but regarded him with a wave of her index finger as she held the teacup. He took that as a victory.

When breakfast was over, Knuckle gathered the dirty dishes, and Shoot wiped down the table. Morel stepped over to Palm and made sure all of her blankets were layered properly. Shoot wondered how she wasn't sweating under all that warmth. He knew that being sick played havoc on the body, but he so rarely was ill – outside of a minor head cold. Shoot left the two alone and entered the kitchen with Knuckle.

They returned with a teapot and a tray of clean cups. Knuckle placed down the cups at everyone's place, and Shoot brought the teapot down in the center of the table. Morel was the one to pick it up and pour them all drinks. Shoot took his place again and regarded Palm. She sat with her eyes closed, right hand daintily placed over her lips.

          "Will you be able to hold up here by yourself?” Morel began. “We can always try and talk to our client to see if we can bring you along."

          Palm lowered her hand once her cup was full again. She slowly opened her eyes. "No, I'll be fine," she assured. She laced her fingers together and twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "I have my concerns though."

          "Ah, right. What should we expect?"

Palm blinked slowly and glanced over towards Morel. He stared at her, waiting expectantly. Knuckle and Shoot watched silently. Shoot took a drink from his cup. They always listened to Palm's almost clairvoyant advice. It wasn't about whether or not she was correct, though she usually was to some extent. With this strange contract presented in front of them, it was good to know what odds might have been against them if they decided to take it. Palm pulled away her hands and moved one over her right eye. She stared straight ahead at the wall on the opposite end of the table.

          "Be careful. Changing circumstances will ultimately lead to your separation," she stated.

          "Is there anything specific we need to watch out for?" Shoot asked.

Just then, she focused on him. Her single gaze was piercing. Shoot swallowed and sat up straighter under her scrutiny. After a tense moment, Palm turned her hand to the left and covered both eyes now. She let out a long breath. For some reason, Shoot found himself doing the same.

          "You will have to be the most careful," she stated. "You will encounter the strangest events."

Shoot focused on her and watched as she removed her hand and reached down for her teacup once again. He glanced to Morel and then Knuckle. The other two reflected his confusion, unsure as to what she could mean. Palm didn't explain herself further and no one ask. She just took a steady drink from her cup. Morel spoke to fill the silence and immediately took command of the room again. Shoot lowered his attention to his teacup before looking to the outside. He listened to Morel with half an ear. There, over Palm's shoulder, he saw a crane take long strides into his line of vision. His eyes kept focused on the bird for a while.

"Are you ready?" snapped him out of his reverie. He turned his head towards Morel and then nodded. The older male sighed slightly and motioned for the other two to stand. Knuckle began to do just that. Shoot followed some hesitant seconds after. When he turned his head back towards the outside, everything was the same, but the crane was gone.

 

\- † -

 

Shoot scanned the area as they approached the gate. There were a number of guards outside, about twenty from his quick counting. If they really needed all of these guards, they must have seriously stepped on the wrong toes. That thought brought back the anxiety and suspicion. This contract didn't seem any more appealing. In fact, it was less so. Morel let out a long thoughtful noise just before the gate doors were finally drawn open. Shoot smiled a bit at the noise, at least he wasn't alone in his feelings.

They entered the well kept modest estate grounds. Knuckle and Shoot peered in separate directions, admiring the  prim exterior as well as checking for more guards.  There were less armed men at the front of the home , which all three  mercenaries found to be a major flaw. They followed along the main walkway towards the front stairs.  They were given the third degree by a couple of men near the front door and had to pass an inspection before they were finally let in.  Knuckle clicked his tongue after the scrutiny was over. Shoot just sighed deeply and placed his hand on his friend's back.  _Come now,_ he thought. _Don't instigate them._

Once inside, things were much more accommodating. Quick but accommodating. Maids bowed fluidly and led the men straight to where they would be needed. Their kimonos ruffled as they moved with graceful speed. The hired trio picked up the pace to match the women. They were confused by the sudden need for haste but decided that their questions were best saved for later. Two of the maids split off and opened the doors. The third continued forward without pause. At the end of their speedy journey, the maid bowed out of the way and presented them with a flourish of her hand. Morel sat in seiza at the foot of the stairs followed by Knuckle and Shoot.

Shoot watched as the maid skirted passed. She gave him a quick smile on her way out. He turned his attention forward once she cleared him, and he heard the soft close of the doors from behind.

The Enoshima family sat above them. A row of people sat to Shoot's left and another to Knuckle's right. Shoot felt a nudge and turned his head to face Knuckle, who gave him a  _look_ . It was as curious and uneasy as Shoot himself felt. Knuckle leaned in close to mutter "I don't like this". Shoot nodded as they pulled away. He agreed. This was all too chaotic for his liking.

          "We've accepted your invitation," Morel began. "All of our business has been finished and put behind. Now we're here to help you."

          "Excellent!" squawked the man in a dark grey kimono.

Juro Enoshima was a strange sort of man. Even though his family was low on the scale of importance, he led them to have a presence like a high ranked family. Unlike others who might have been in his position, he never really abused his power. He always navigated with a social quickness and grace that others lacked. He was strange in that sense alone. How much pull he had with other families was also a hot question of debate. Shoot glanced to his left and to his right. It had to be enough if he had people with him now.

          "I would like to introduce you to our guests," Juro spoke. He pulled up his right and motioned to the row to the trio's left. "Morishima. Sanyama. Ou. Ji…"

As each house name was called off, the indicated guests would bow. It was very formal. It all felt eerie. Shoot couldn't place the feeling as to why. Perhaps Palm's prediction was playing havoc on his nerves. Maybe he was just on edge because of the unknown circumstances. Whatever it was, he suspected it wouldn't go away any time soon.

Each of the other guests were dressed down in flat but tasteful colours. It was entirely possible that they were all trying to keep their heads down during their visit. Incognito, yes. That was probably the best way to go. He turned his head the other way, listening to the new set of names. He didn't think he would have to remember them all, but he filed away what he could just in case. He also knew that if he couldn't match names and faces, Knuckle would be able to.

Morel bowed forward from his position. Knuckle and Shoot did the same.

          "It's an honour to meet you all," Morel stated.

When they sat up again, Juro nodded to them and smiled slightly.

          "These are some of my closest associates. Those who were too busy to attend in person sent their representatives in their steed. And now –" Juro placed his hands in his lap, tilting his head back slightly. "It's time for me to tell you why you're all here."


	3. Time Passes, Needed Action

Juro finally explained the situation in full, letting his wife fill in some of the gaps from her perspective. It was good to finally hear what was going on and directly from the source at that. Shoot found that a lot of his questions were answered and managed to relax a great deal because of it. After the talk, Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot were escorted out of the room once again and down the corridor on the right hand side. Shoot milled the situation about as they all traveled.

From what they had been told, the Enoshima were being attacked by a neighbouring family, the Tayasu. This entire situation was the cause of a slight disagreement – as true to the word “slight” as any argument could be. The reason for the dispute in and of itself was negligible, but the intention was more important: establishing a reputation. Despite the trivial argument, the Tayasu were not a forgiving sort on their path towards regional power. And now  _because_ of the argument, they have threatened to “send many misfortunes” to the Enoshima until the daughter died on her wedding day. The Enoshima reached out for help and kept on the defense until they found a way to eliminate the threat.

A petty dispute between pseudo nobles. Turns out the mission was a lot less mysterious than they originally thought it was. Shoot still had some questions here and there, questions that rolled over their inaugural meal, but overall, he felt genuinely relieved. His relief was echoed some hours later when he and the other two were patrolling the area. They regrouped to report their findings – a unanimous “nothing” – and Knuckle crossed his arms over his chest, his hands tucking into his sleeves.

           “You know what's been on my mind?” He glanced between the two men. “What these 'misfortunes' are. I know that they don't know what's going to happen in the future, but they didn't exactly help us understand what to expect earlier.”

Morel nodded his head. “I tried to figure out more about their experiences, but it seems they're keeping it quiet.”

“Perhaps the other guards might know something,” Shoot offered.

The two looked at him and nodded.

“Should we split up then,” Knuckle began, turning his attention up to Morel, “and see what we can find?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The trio went back to their stations, grabbing the attention of the other guards that crossed their paths. It was almost a fruitless adventure. Most of the guards they ran into were guests from the other households. The visitors didn't know much or weren't willing to talk. They were either being stubborn, or they had orders. Either way, Shoot didn't force anything.

“From what I gather,” one started as he looked around, his voice a slow drawl, “y'all are the best on our side of the river. I dunno what you're frettin' for.”

“Not fretting,” Shoot reassured. “We're just curious about what happened – looking for information.”

“I guess I can't fault y'all for that.”

Shoot's attention was grabbed by the accent. This guard wasn't from this zone, and by extension, the family he protected wasn't either. Just how far did the Enoshima's influence reach? The black haired male flicked his attention up to Shoot.

“I wa'n't here when it started, and when I was, well...” He shook his head dismissively. “Anyway, I can just tell you that there's somethin' going on. There's been weird things at night an' in the day time. I think my eyes are playin' tricks on me though.”

They quieted when someone came near them. The country guard nodded his head, acknowledging the other. Shoot followed his lead, and they waited until they were alone again. The black haired male reached up, rubbing his thumb against his nose.

“Y'all're gonna be here for longer than me. We're headin' out tonight. I'll just tell you t' watch ya back.”

Shoot smiled, glad to finally have something close to a lead. “Thank you.”

“Ya welcome. Now let's get goin' before we raise suspicions.”

Shoot agreed and headed in the opposite direction, continuing the last rounds of his patrolling until someone came to switch places with him. He waited in front of the wide, wooden stairs leading into the house. He watched as the numerous guards he couldn't name strolled in front of him, some of them looking alert and others tired. After about five minutes of waiting, Morel appeared around the corner. Knuckle appeared some minutes later.

Shoot motioned for them to follow him inside and almost immediately, they were led by the maids again. These women were so particularly attuned to their movements. It was a combination of flattering and downright strange. They were shown the baths and then their rooms. The maids bowed before exiting quietly. For now, Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel figured they were alone. Knuckle walked around the room, checking it out to make sure there were no traps or tricks waiting. Shoot checked outside to confirm they wouldn't be disturbed. Morel watched his students work and slowly made his way around the room as well, this time checking out the luxuries.

When Shoot returned, he retold what the other guard had told him during their rounds. He brought up how the guard mentioned that they would be leaving soon as well. Since that family was planning on leaving, he offered that they find out when the other families were planning to as well. “It would help us keep track of who comes and goes,” he said. “Even if we don't remember their names, it could help with their numbers.” Knuckle and Morel shared a look before crossing their arms. Shoot glanced between the two of them, feeling amused. Just now, they appeared to be like father and son rather than student and teacher. Shoot laughed to himself, and when Knuckle called him out on it, the taller male shook his head. 

After a moment, the two decided to go along with Shoot's plan. They gathered towels and washcloths for their bath, all of their thoughts heavy with the mission on their minds. The mens bathhouse was modest at best, which was fine for all of them. The water was incredibly relaxing. Shoot felt himself relax as he sank in. His mind eased, and all of the worry fully drifted out of his body. There would be time for him to be attentive and on high alert, but right now just wasn't it.

 

\- † -

 

The official start of their mission was more hectic than they genuinely expected. They received a crash course in how the household functioned, a list of expected (and favoured) guests to attempt to memorise, and their starting stations for that week. The list of expected guests was short, but it was filled with names and mannerisms that they, as temporary guests, couldn't be reasonably expected to remember in full. They didn't want to overload themselves with information, so they took family crests to heart and stored away any important notes in their mind. 

Despite being hired as guards, the mercenaries were initially kept separated from the Enoshima family as a whole unless all the guests and guards were brought together. Between patrolling and briefings, Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel were allowed free reign on the grounds. And yet still, they saw little of their employers. Shoot wondered if this was something worth bringing up, but at the close of the week, Morel voiced that his reasoning behind all of this. 

“This was merely a test to see if we would get jittery. If we became too anxious to be beside them, they might think we were up to something.”

Shoot weighed the words and realised it made sense. “I can see that. We were given time away to handle all of our business before we finally came here. It wouldn't be too much of a reach for someone to think we were propositioned by anyone else, even the Tayasu.”

Knuckle had been quiet for that brief exchange. His words were very to the point when he did decide to say something.

“Still annoying,” Knuckle muttered to himself.

Shoot couldn't help but laugh a bit. Yes, it still was.

The second week was less of an issue. They passed the unspoken test, and things weren't as high impact. They were finally able to work their own training into their schedule, so they weren't just wandering and learning the lay of the land. They kept their conditioning very minimal and away from eyes that might have been interested in them. The trio could sense it; they knew. Shoot was never fond of being scrutinised. Even with Knuckle and Morel, sometimes it caught him off guard or left him unable to focus. These people – they were nosy and more than just 'interested'. Shoot was happy to get back to their own rhythm of things though, however they could have it.

Maiko Enoshima, Juro's wife, approached them one day and asked to pick their preferred stations when they weren't scheduled for patrolling. Shoot had volunteered to be in charge of any guests leaving and entering, making sure they got to their the means of transport safely. Morel kept watch over and tended to any guests that needed the attention, and that left Knuckle to take care of the guards. He had to measure them up, make sure they weren't acting suspicious, and that none had gone missing. The latter was more of a “just in case”, but it was still an important caveat of his position. Fairly easy places for all of them, and something they could do without much thought.

Knuckle and Shoot also found time to study, trying to catch up on what they missed. They never really had a true schedule for it in the first place. It was more of a whenever they had time sort of deal, but it had been worked into their routine. Knuckle leaned his head back against the railing, listening to the hesitant  _clacks_ of the soroban. When the noise stopped, he leaned his head forward to check the math. Shoot waited nervously, drumming his fingers against his hakama. His anxiety lifted when Knuckle praised him on his accuracy and reconfirmed the logic behind each step. Shoot smiled pleasantly at his achievement. It was almost like they were at home again. The week passed by without incident and bled into the third with little notice.

At the start of the fourth week, Juro finally called them in for consultation. He was winding down the involvement of his guests, finally having all the information and resources needed to strike. Morel, as the leader of their trio, was called upon most frequently. Knuckle and Shoot were left to their patrolling, however they saw fit, and to their training. When they took a break, Shoot sat down on the terrace and meditated. It was only a matter of time before Morel brought the two into the meeting and revealed what they had been planning.

Knuckle and Shoot were given chances to modify their participation in the plan, wanting to be as useful as possible. They memorised what they were meant to do and mentally prepared themselves for when the time would come. Right when their comfort settled, it all fell apart in spectacular ways.

Two families remained in the Enoshima household while three others left. Shoot was seeing off one of the guests. He turned and saw Knuckle standing near the gate. Apparently, they needed to talk about something. Shoot moved closer and joined him for a chat. He took a look around as Knuckle spoke. From where they were standing, he could see Morel was walking down a corridor with a woman from the house of Ou walking beside him. Shoot brought his attention back to Knuckle and froze mid-sentence. 

There was something in the air; the atmosphere had changed. Knuckle motioned for the other guards to close the gates. Shoot brought his gaze up and watched as Morel hurriedly escorted the woman back into the main unit of the house. He glanced over to Knuckle, and they shared a knowing look. They separated to give the guards their orders. Those with Enoshima were posted at the front and back gates. Those from other houses followed Knuckle and Shoot back into the house, feeling the unified desire to return to their masters and comrades. The guests tried to ask what the meaning of all this was. “What's the hurry?” “Where's the danger!” and so on.

Even for Morel, it was hard to explain exactly what was happening in plain words, and it would be insulting to all of them to say that this was “merely a hunch”.

“The situation is changing,” Morel stated, “and we are prioritizing your safety. There has been suspected suspicious activity that will bring you all harm. If you don't resist, we'll be able to get you back to your homes safely.”

“My friends,” Juro began, once he entered the room. Everyone fell quiet as he walked forward. “They are quite knowledgeable in this area. I suspect they know even more than I do in this situation. Please listen to these words. They will keep you safe.”

The guests looked to each other, some sharing strange looks, but soon they stood up. Shoot took point and led the guests out of the room. Knuckle took point at the rear. Some of the other guards deviated from the lineup, going to retrieve the horses and carriages. The wait was tense, and once the proper transports had arrived, everyone was loaded in appropriately.

There was a loud crash behind them, smoke billowed up from the place of impact. Shocked sounds erupted from both guest and guard. Shoot felt a wave of darkness and ill intent prickle over his skin. He heard Knuckle make a noise of displeasure beside him. Shoot returned his attention to the carriages and the guards straddling their horses, reciting the precise instructions for a safe escape. Knuckle waited almost impatiently. He flicked his head back towards the house when there was another crash. The guests expressed their worries, therein delaying their needed escape.

“Don't worry about us!” Knuckle finally replied. He swiped a hand through the air. “We won't be able to do anything if you stay here. Please. Go!”

Shoot was thankful for his friend's assertiveness, reaffirming with his own firm instruction. When the visitors were gone, Knuckle and Shoot immediately crossed the quarter and headed to the stables to prepare to leave. Amazingly, the carriage was already prepared by the stable hands. Shoot expressed his gratitude and stated where the carriage should be placed. 

Once that was done, he took a deep breath to clear his head. He felt a hand clap on his shoulder and turned towards his friend. The touch grounded him, reminding him that he wasn't alone in this. They looked out towards the main house. The smoke was dissipating, finally clearing. They could hear the alarmed voices curling up into the air. “Let's go,” Shoot heard off to his left, and Knuckle ran straight towards the house. Shoot followed after, finding that anything else other than a physical response would have been unnecessary. 

Their plan was in action. It was time to move.

 


	4. Here Now, There Again

Evacuating the house had been a simple affair. Thanks to their planning, everyone was able to leave just as they had organised. Some of the guards stayed behind to watch over the house in an effort to bring things under control. Two of them had been assigned as messengers, making sure to properly relay information. One was afforded as a middle man, keeping track of the family's movements and staying between them and the house at all times for periodical checkups.

The family had been divided into three carriages. The grandmother and grandfather held the rear. Juro himself took the front. Maiko and her daughter rode in the middle, not wanting to be separated. It was easy to keep watch over the family carriages. The guards that travelled with them went by horse. Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel all travelled by foot. “It's amazing!” The grandmother had shouted during a brief stop. She clapped her hands together. “You boys are truly wonderful.”

Shoot was embarrassed by the compliment but thanked the older woman for her words. After all, being able to move quickly by foot was only part of his basic training. It was nice to have that appreciated by an outside. She didn't treat him like he was a novelty. She just seemed genuinely amazed. That was nice .  They picked up their travels once again, and e verything  seemed to be going to plan. At least at first.

Their strategy had been derailed when  Shoot  was told he would be  staying behind.  Actually, it was better to say that he was going back to the household . Knuckle initially put up a fight. This wasn't what they had planned!

          “You'll need as much protection as you can get. We've fortified the area and set down messengers for this exact reason.” Knuckle glanced between Juro and Maiko, keeping his voice down but his tone firm.

Shoot knew that Knuckle was trying to cover his worry, but he was right. There was no reason to go against the script when things were so critical now.

Morel was on watch, keeping guard over the grandparents and daughter, and was unable to join in. He probably would have told Knuckle to control himself or spoken for the pair to maintain some sense of decorum. But the order was rubbish now. Knuckle was sufficiently pissed. Shoot, on the other hand, was simpl y uneasy.

The responsibility made him the slightest bit ill. The implications, the expectations — he rubbed his hand against his hakama nervously. He wasn't sure Knuckle would be able to talk Juro out of his decision. It was probably made and finalised before either of them were aware of it.

Maiko slapped a hand on her thigh, frowning up at Knuckle. Almost sheepishly, the black haired guard righted himself. He stood with a straighter posture, though his lips twisted down with a firm frown. Shoot glanced over towards his friend before imitating his stance. His face was, of course, without the same expression. Maiko flicked her gaze between the two before pointing up at Shoot. He adapted his second nature and resisted flinching.

        “He has a power to him.” She drew her hand back after a side glance to Juro. She flipped it over, palm upward. “ Though,  I won't insult you. All three of you have some sort of 'power' to you, but he –” She nodded to Shoot. “– has something about him that I just can't place. There's something otherworldly about him.”

        “We've kept a watch on you all, so to say. You, Knuckle, are strong, and we're relying on you. Morel has a strong head. We will also need him here while we plan.” Juro spoke now. He coolly shifted his gaze from Shoot to Knuckle and back again. “Despite your demure demeanor, there's something in you. Something, I believe, that can help this get done quickly, with both brawn and brains if need be.”

Knuckle opened his mouth to retort but closed it out of frustration. He turned himself towards Shoot and tipped his head as if silently asking  _How the hell are you gonna get outta this one now?_ Shoot glanced over to Knuckle and held his gaze from the corner of his eyes. His frown was echoed with his friend's own expression. Shoot stared straight ahead again and did the only thing he could. He bowed deeply.

         “Thank you for seeing such potential in me.”

Knuckle hesitated; Shoot saw it in the corner of his eyes, the exaggerated twitch in Knuckle's fingers, but the shorter guard quieted his thoughts enough to bow in the same regard. They stood some moments after and left the royals alone. They called over two other guards to take their place.

Knuckle sighed loudly when they returned to their teacher. Shoot was the one to tell Morel the news. His fingers rubbed anxiously against each other. He felt an itch on his chest, his stomach, his spine growing the more he thought about it. The questions were brief.

         “When do you leave?”

         “Now, or something quicker than 'immediately'.”

        Morel hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Will you be alright?”

         Shoot smiled nervously. “I'll survive.”

Morel then clapped a large hand over Shoot's shoulder. Everything silenced within Shoot's body. He blinked up at his teacher, dazed by the sudden physical encouragement. Morel's lips stretched in a grin.

         “That's the spirit. You'll survive.” He shook Shoot by the shoulder gently. “Better than that, you'll conquer.”

Shoot felt bolstered by the sudden encouragement and nodded his head. Yes, he would do his best, he reassured. Morel pulled his hand away and focused on Knuckle as well.

         “We'll only be a few hours away, if that. You both know the plan well. Believe in that but also trust your own instincts.” The last, he said to Shoot, who nodded. “We'll reconvene when we get the word that things are safe on your end. Get it done as soon as you can. No excuses.”

Shoot's body relaxed suddenly in the order. Perhaps now he was feeling so stressed, he was just forced to relax entirely. He was willing to assume that was possible, but… He wouldn't give in, not so easily. Morel counted on him as did Knuckle. Shoot pulled his wits together and let out a deep sigh. His shoulders lifted once again, and he felt some of the anxiety leave his body. Not all of it but enough to count.

After separating from his fellows, he decided to ask the messenger, asking for a ride. It wouldn't be faster, but his travels wouldn't be as dependent on his own thoughts. Liking the idea, he decided to follow through. The messenger was kind enough to agree and finished up any lingering business they had. As Shoot waited, he looked around, he saw that Maiko was walking towards him. He bowed at her presence, and she smiled softly, bowing her head to him.

         “I just wanted to talk with you before you left.”

         “Of course, my Lady.”

         “And I wanted to apologise,” she continued, “for catching you and your companion off guard.”

         “You had your family's best interest at heart. I can't fault you for that.”

         Maiko stared up at him, trying to gauge his sincerity. She laughed gently and tipped her head down, staring at the ground. “You're rather understanding.”

The messenger returned, horse led by the reins. She hurriedly greeted the Lady Maiko, who just waved a hand dismissively. Shoot felt a bit more relaxed in her now easygoing presence. Maiko motioned towards the beaten path, taking a slight step back. The messenger tugged the reins, leading the horse forward. Shoot and Maiko walked slightly behind, talking in low voices.

Shoot slowed his pace to match hers. She rubbed her thumb over the back of her hand as they walked abreast quietly.

         “When we started planning everything, we knew that we would have to evacuate.” She brought her head up, staring up at the sky. “Perhaps it was nerves or intuition, but we knew we would not be able to stay in that place. Acting on our suspicions, we decided to call in one more agent for assistance. It was only after your team had come to us with your plan did we realise this would be the best idea.”

         “And you planned to have me stay at that time?”

         “Not immediately,” Maiko confessed.

         Shoot had the words before he was aware he found them. “May I ask why you're telling me?” Wasn't it the place of dignitaries to keep their plans to themselves? They had done a fine job at it so far.

         “Because you deserve to know after that little surprise,” she stated, lacing her fingers together. “We discussed it and thought it would be best to eliminate the threat with two hands.” She opened out her own, flipping them palms up as she did. He knew she didn't mean literally but was glad when she looked a bit sheepish. “I apologise. I meant no harm.”

         Shoot laughed a bit, shaking his head. “It's alright.”

         She sighed through her nose and brought her hands down again. “We were selfish in our decision, but with you and the agent working together, it's very possible you two will overcome this easily.”

         “Is there anything I need to know?”

         Maiko glanced towards the side. “I fear I do not have the time to brief you.”

How unfortunately true. Shoot blinked at her and then nodded, thanking her for her time. She smiled slightly and motioned for him to go to the messenger. She wouldn't take up more of his time. The messenger and Shoot both mounted the horse. With a clever flick, the messenger sent the horse forward. Shoot glanced over his shoulder to Maiko, but she had already turned her back as they left.

 


	5. Old Routine, New Companion

The Enoshima guards at the estate quickly reported all that had happened in his absence. There hadn't been much, but the men reported movement and suspicious noises. The bathhouse doors were damaged, but other than that, it was fine.

Shoot listened with half an ear, feeling the coils of aura snaking into the air. He glanced around, trying to find its source as the guards talked. He brought himself back to the conversation, nodding as he was led back into the estate. They took him to the rooms that most urgently needed his attention. Up close, Shoot was able to see the damage. It was all very precise. The holes were large enough to constitute as entrances, singed around the edges, wood splintered everywhere. Even though it had been a few hours, the damaged rooms still felt warm. Shoot reached his hand out and touched the walls. Something hummed in response to his touch just underneath the wood. He closed his eyes, trying to ascertain just what this was. It was too weak to tell, but he knew that this was a special fighter, just like him, Knuckle, and Morel.

He helped patrol, directing the flow of guards every two hours. When it was time to sit down to eat, he was surprised that he was holding his own well. It helped that everyone was on alert and he himself was thinking about this mysterious assailant. The guards listened to him, sometimes offering their own thoughts on the matter. He liked the ease of this control. The pressure to look into things had almost completely lifted. Shoot found himself a bit more comfortable here. These guards weren't people that he felt he had to impress. He tried not to think too much about it though, lest it crumble whatever calm he had achieved.

He was one of the first to finish his food and told the group where he would be should they need him. He wandered in one of the damaged rooms, trying to figure out its purpose. Perhaps it was a study or a quiet room. He walked over and bent down to touch the haori crumpled on the floor. Its glorious fabric had been badly singed in spots – unrepairable, to him. This garment looked one of a kind and felt heavenly to the touch. He took it in his hand and closely examined it. He carefully folded it and set it next to the calligraphy table. With another glance around, he found that there was nothing for him here. He proceeded to another area.

Heading to the meeting room, Shoot tapped his knuckles against the doorframe. It was curious why this room hadn't been stricken when they were all gathered here. Perhaps the assailant didn't know. Mn. Shoot shook his head as he stepped in. That didn't seem likely. It was more appropriate to think that maybe they were still sending a message. Shoot searched his memories, trying to see if the Enoshima ever brought up _when_ exactly the daughter would be married off. He sighed, coming up with nothing. He figured that it was yet another thing that the dignitaries wouldn't tell them. It wasn't important enough to mention yet, he figured. It had not immediate baring to what was happening.

The transition into night was a bit calmer. He helped the guards lay out a plan for the nighttime. He promised that he would clip his training if they needed him, but he needed to set aside time for his own benefit. It was the first time he had gotten strange looks from them. None of them were distasteful, not truly. He was at the end of curious looks and a couple of size ups. He didn't think that they were sensitive to aura – none of them seemed to notice the lingering power in the air – but either way, he had to be careful about where he trained. He didn't want their curiosity to fully distract them. That and he didn't want to be watched. That would be great, avoiding that.

He separated from the group and made his way to the back courtyard. There was a small, naturally worn pond and a poor excuse for a garden. Shoot stared at the two features, admiring how imperfect and worn they looked amongst the smooth grass. The pond was modest and very much a reflection of nature. It wasn't the well groomed or cared for like other ponds he had seen. There were lily pads, moss, and a bit of algae floating near the stop. The earth of the garden wasn't smooth at all. The few flowers were wilted or small. Shoot found the strange imperfection to be charming and briefly worded who the garden belonged to.

He pulled himself away and eased himself into meditating. It wasn't that it was difficult without Knuckle or Morel, but there was a definite change. He rubbed his lips together and closed his eyes. First, he focused his mind and took in a deep breath. The guard stretched his right arm out, letting it rest against his corresponding knee. The inhale forced him to collect himself. Shoot felt the familiar chill run through his body as he drew in breath. When he exhaled, he felt his aura flow out steadily. His body wanted to relax, but he resisted the urge. Shoot tapped his middle finger and thumb against each other, keeping himself grounded. His aura flowed in controlled waves. He stunted his power greatly. One, he didn't want to be found while he was relaxing, and for another, it was all a part of his discipline.

The night went without incident. He slept in a room closer to the courtyard. He stared up at the sky as he drifted off to sleep. For a moment, he thought he saw something. He sat up, startled and alert, for five tense minutes. He pulled up to his feet and paced up and down the terrace. Even though he was tired, he was fueled on by pure adrenaline. When he settled down in his bed again, he was far more tired than when he first settled down. He slept hard but was thankful when nothing happened overnight.

The next day was pleasantly routine, and he was actually able to stay up that night surveying the perimeter. His route came to an end near the courtyard, and he chanced the thought for another bout of meditation. His thoughts were immediately interrupted when he saw someone standing quietly on the opposite end. His eyes widened slightly and immediately he was on the defensive. He wondered if this was the one who had been targeting the house or if this was the mysterious agent the Enoshima had also hired. Shoot took in a deep breath and chanced forward, preparing himself to fight if he needed to.

When he came closer, he could see six wisps of flames hovering above the stranger's head. He hesitated then, briefly captivated by the sight. It was nothing he had ever seen before. It was 'unique' in every sense of the word. Shoot swallowed and curled his fingers. He slowly advanced upon the stranger, the intruder. He reached over to grab his sleeve, and she turned around. They stared at each other, and she immediately went on the defensive. Shoot glanced at her and then slightly up above her head. The flames were no longer visible. He brought his gaze down again and noticed that the woman had stood up straight once again. Did she noticed where he was looking?

          “Are you the one Lady Maiko told me about?”

          Shoot nodded his head, easing his stance. He kept his hand on his sleeve. “It's possible. You must be the agent, then.”

          “Ah.” The woman brought up a hand to her chin, tilting her head. “She told you after all.”

          “In the end.” Shoot frowned a bit. Ah, so this woman knew that she was being hired in secret? He pressed his lips together.

          The woman nodded and lowered her hand. “My name is Skuld.”

          “I'm sure you know already, but I'm Shoot.”

          “Nice to meet you.” She stood and pointed over her shoulder, drawing Shoot's attention. “Did you check this area here?”

Shoot brought his gaze to where she was indicating. Just up against the dividing wall was a row of disturbed earth. Unlike the garden, the ground had been patted down again and smoothed over. Far more appealing to the eye. Skuld walked closer, and he followed. She placed her hand against the wall. Shoot did the same without hesitation and was surprised at what he found. The aura here was thicker, pulsated almost. It was so alive and very warm. It was like feeling a heartbeat through someone's chest. His surprise was outwardly conveyed and understandably so. He didn't notice when Skuld drew her hand away and stepped further down the wall.

He traced his fingers over the wall. He could see with his own eyes that it was made of stone, but his mind was very confused by the living, beating rhythm of aura. He drew his hand away finally and rubbed his fingers together. This was truly strange. He made a mental note to come back and investigate. Right now, he wanted to know more about this… agent.

         “How long have you been here?” he asked as he approached.

          She slowly pulled her attention away from the wall and looked up at him. “A few hours now. I was here last night as well, surveying the area.”

Ah, so she was the mysterious shadow that had startled him. He wouldn't admit it out loud and wasn't entirely sure he could if he were able. He nodded instead at her words.

          “And what did you find?”

          She crossed her arms and sighed. “I don't believe it was anything important,” she started. “I mostly just found traces of aura, and it's been about as powerful as I've shown you.”

          “Ah.” Shoot perked up a bit. “Have you checked the damaged property at all?”

          “No, not yet.”

         He motioned for her to follow him as he began stepping away. “Come. I'll show you then.”

          “Right behind you.”

For some reason, that made Shoot smile. He brought a hand up to sheepishly cover the expression. He lead her back into the main part of the house and let her observe the damage done to the three rooms. On the last room, Skuld ran her fingers along the splintered wood and scowled at what she found. She ran her fingers over her bright violet obi and spun around to face Shoot. He jumped at the scowl on her face.

          “What is this?”

          “What is…?”

          “This!” She pointed at the wood.

He stepped closer, a bit caught off guard by her assertiveness. He leaned down closer to where she was pointing, but even with enhanced sight, he couldn't tell what she was talking about. Skuld must have noticed because she immediately sighed and calmed herself.

          “I'm sorry. I thought you were testing me.” She glanced back to the wood. “There's something lingering here. Little dark creatures – I can remove them.”

          “You can?” Shoot asked, standing to full height.

He wondered what it was that she was seeing that he missed. She nodded her head in response.

          “If you can't see them clearly, then I'm glad I can be off assistance then. We can probably help each other more than we may have originally thought.”

Shoot couldn't have agreed more. He escorted her out of the room and down into the dining room. They sat, and Skuld smoothed her hands over her kimono. Shoot watched her, a bit unsure as to what to say, but thankfully she filled in the gaps for him.

          “Before we eat,” she started, “please fill me in on what's been happening, and I'll be sure to tell you what I can do.”

Shoot smiled again, feeling better having the instructions. “It's actually rather straightforward. The full breadth of the attack happened yesterday morning, just before we escaped…”


	6. Shared Knowledge, Closer Danger

Skuld was incredibly informative actually. Even though she wasn't there from the beginning, she provided some very welcomed insight. They had a large lunch, figuring it would be best to build up their energy for the rest of the day. When asked, Shoot led her back into the private study room and left let her examine everything freely. He needed to check up on the guards and make sure that none of them had seen anything strange. One of the guards was feeling ill, and acting on his gut, Shoot gave the guard permission to go rest for a while.

He took the ill man's place and patrolled around the area. He took his time, wanting to give Skuld a chance to do what she needed to do as well as look into things himself. He went back to the wall to investigate, pressing his hand to the stone as he honed in his energy. The aura was almost completely gone at this point. He wasn't surprised, but at least that strange, lifelike sensation had completely melted away. Pulling away, he browsed the area for anything suspicious or out of place. There wasn't much at first, just small details he never thought to pay attention to before. A cracked stone in the wall, worn footsteps in the grass, a small bird corpse — things of no real importance but caught his attention all the same. When he came back inside, he found Skuld slaving away in the quiet room. She appropriated one of the books from the shelf, it seemed, and was swiftly writing something within. Shoot wasn't sure whether to ask what she was up to or to simply linger. He found himself, quite unsurprisingly, doing the latter.

Skuld set her writing tool down and acknowledged him with a look. Shoot straightened up and headed over towards her, feeling the sudden urge to report the cracked stone and dead bird he had found. She picked up her writing again once he neared. Shoot sat on the opposite side of the table, and it was only then that he realised he hadn't spoken since he arrived.

         “I didn't find anything on my patrol,” he stated. “At least, nothing significant.”

He looked from her book and over to the gaping hole in the wall. Suddenly, it hit him. There were two more breaches similar to this one, and for whatever reason, he didn't feel endangered at all. He had slept, knowing and aware of the uncovered damage, and yet… He smiled a bit to himself, figuring that it probably meant nothing, but it still made him feel proud? Confident? He wasn't sure. He shook his head and rid himself of the thought and continued on with what he was saying.

         “What have you found about these little parasites?”

         Skuld sighed heavily, lowering her hand once again. “Nothing I feel comfortable telling you yet.” She brought her hand up and idly scratched her wrist. “Only because I know so little about what I'm dealing with. I didn't have a chance to really look into what I was dealing with before it attacked.”

         “It attacked?”

Skuld nodded her head before she leaned forward, extending her arm out over the table. Shoot leaned over her arm, hand instinctively reaching up to trace along the marks. There were several scratches of various depths raking down her arm. He wondered if it hurt at all.

         “Even if I describe it for you, I feel like you could only really benefit from seeing it in person,” Skuld stated, voice low, tone something akin to tired.

         “Do you suspect there's more?”

         “More than likely. They're probably in the other rooms too.” They sat up, and Skuld drew her arm back. “If you don't mind…?”

         “If you believe it'll help, I'll gladly be a witness.”

Skuld smiled a bit and nodded her head. The two of them stood, and they walked together towards the next room. On the way, Shoot was intercepted by one of the guards.

         “There was a broken mirror found by one of the gates.”

         “Ah. Was that all?”

         The guard nodded. “It was a hand mirror, but I couldn't tell you exactly who it belonged to.”

         “Thank you. We'll be there as soon as we can.”

The man confirmed and excused himself. It didn't seem important, but Shoot figured he would go check it out anyway once they were done here. He and Skuld continued onto the next room together. This was a bedroom, well stocked with personal effects, though they were all neatly stacked. One of the wardrobes had been tipped over, presumably from the same force that caused the hole in the wall. Shoot let Skuld take the lead from here. This was in her field of expertise now. She pulled something from her obi. Upon stepping closer, Shoot saw that it was a well polished knife. It didn't look regal enough to have belonged to the Enoshima, but the design was beautifully custom made. He stored it away in his mind and focused on the demonstration.

As a first step to whatever she was doing, Skuld drew her energy back into herself, and Shoot mentally balked at the change in pressure. Either she was incredibly powerful or he was already used to being in her aura and presence. The latter wouldn't surprise him too much. He was so used to being around Palm, Morel, and Knuckle that he only really noticed the difference in aura – or lack thereof – when any one of them went into stealth. Shoot came closer and stopped when she held up her free hand. She lowered down the customised knife down to the ruined wall.

She was quiet as she worked, tapping the tip of the knife against the cracked wood. He stood there silently, bouncing between wanting to say something and saying absolutely nothing at all. His confused patience was rewarded with a reveal. She pulled a sliver of metal from the hole she created. Shoot stared at it, and Skuld glanced up to him, perhaps gauging his reaction, before she continued.

Her aura returned slowly, and the lingering absence was gradually filled again. The rod of metal immediately began to move. It uncurled quickly, revealing tiny prongs running down its length. It wriggled like a worm in her grasp and doubled forward, attaching to her wrist.

         “Skuld!” Shoot called out to her before her could stop himself.

She smiled at him, and he felt his face go warm. He cleared his throat and sat back, watching as the living metal grasped onto her. Skuld winced in pain and spun her knife in her hand, readjusting her grip.

         “This metal is attached to aura. I have a theory that it hides where it's cast and waits to attack.”

         “How did you come across this?”

         She laughed quietly. “My eyes are just that good.”

Shoot stared at her for a long moment, unsure of how to reply to that. He had so many questions to ask her, but right now, he wanted to get through the demonstration.

         “And how do we eliminate it?”

         “The best way is to starve out its energy, and I can only assume that would take a long time under normal means.” She moved her hand into her sleeve, producing a beaded bracelet. “I've to exorcise them.”

This was… surprising, but it certainly explained why she was so confident when she said she could get rid of them. An Exorcist, right here in front of him. Shoot knew they existed, that much didn't surprise him, but he never worked with one in person before. This was an honour in its own right.

 _“_ _We can probably help each other out more than we may have originally thought_ _,”_ Skuld had said earlier.

         Maiko's voice flooded into his mind immediately after. _“With you and the agent working together, it's very possible you two will overcome this easily.”_

The voices of the two women drifted out of his head, and he was instilled with a sense of calm. Shoot took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This could be good. He didn't know the full extent of Skuld's power, but he was glad to be in capable hands. As they investigated, hopefully they could learn more about each other's methods and work better together. Now they just had to figure out who exactly was behind this. He expressed as much to her, and she readily agreed.

         “It won't be easy,” she stated. “I'm sure whoever this is will try to make this as difficult for us as possible.”

The metal went still once again, humps and bends curving its once straight form. Skuld set the object down beside the hole and ran her fingers over the shallow scratches that had formed on her wrist. The wooden beads were a bit bigger now, having been filled with the aura from the metal. Shoot stood and offered his hand down to her.

         “Let's get you bandaged up, and we can plan on how to take these threats down.”

         “My thoughts exactly.” She took his hand and stood up, dusting her clothing once she was on her feet.

They exited out of the bedroom and entered into the corridor. Shoot remembered that one of the guards had called their attention to something and glanced down her.

         “Before I forget, should we go see what this issue with the mirror is?”

         “Right.” Skuld perked up, remembering as well.

         “Unless your arm can't wait.”

         “I'm fine.” She waved him off but smiled a bit at his concern. “It's just a small scratch. Besides, the mirror shouldn't take too long to deal with. We have time.”

With that, they exited out into the world again. They were led to the strange mirror, and Shoot was sure that he had never seen it before. It was possible that it could have belonged to any of the women. It was small but beautifully crafted. It had a bit of a vintage flair with a ribbon tied underneath the mirror. The longer he stared at it, the more certain he was that he had never seen it before. Skuld took a couple of steps forward, coming to stand a his side, and then she took a couple of steps more, standing closer to the item.

         “This is mine,” she stated finally. “How did it…”

Her voice trailed off, and Shoot glanced over to her. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. He could make a comment about the craftsmanship, how it was so ornate and perfectly mimicked the frivolous luxury of the wealthy. On the other hand, he decided not to say anything, and that was probably the smart thing to do. Skuld cradled the mirror in her hands, slowly turning it and scrutinising it. The glass wasn't broken, he noticed, and her shoulders relaxed at the sight. She glanced up to Shoot.

         “Would you mind going to my bedroom?”

         “Not at all,” he replied quickly, burying any implication that threatened to rise in his mind. “We'll just have to go my room first to get the medical supplies.”

         With a frown, Skuld looked back to her mirror and frowned. “That's fine.”

They excused themselves back into the house, leaving the guard to go about his duties, if he had anything to do. They entered his bedroom for his medical tools before heading to Skuld's room. He set the supplies down and helped her look around for any intrusions. Her sliding door to the terrace had been just barely cracked open. When she put her hand on it, it wiggled in its frame. She glanced over to Shoot, and they shared a look. Someone had been in here. Without a word, she stepped closer to him and motioned to the table.

The silence that settled between them was heavy. They sat down at the table, and she extended her arm out for him once again. He quietly began to fix her up.

         “Do you think it was one of the guards?” He asked, flicking his gaze up to her.

         She gave it a moment of thought. “Probably. One of them could be working with the Tayasu or even acting on his own accord. We can't be too sure.”

He made a small noise of agreement. He didn't worry for her safety, but he was concerned that someone had broken into her room, moving her stuff. She expressed as much as well, and he laughed softly. They were on the same page.

         “I want you to be safe. If you need any help –”

         “I'm a tough girl. I believe I'll be able to hold my own.” She examined the bandages on her arm.

         Shoot smiled, lifting his head. “I know.”

They shared a look this time, and it was less aggressive this time. She sighed softly and leaned back, glancing over her shoulder to her door. Shoot brought his gaze up and regarded as well. He offered his assistance again. This time, she replied with,

         “You'll be the first one I call on if I need assistance.”

That made him feel a bit better. Again, he was looking out for her safety, especially as they looked for this Tayasu assassin. He sighed through his nose.

         “I know we introduced ourselves earlier,” Shoot began. He bowed slightly over the low table. “But please take care of me.”

         Skuld ran her fingers over the bandages and smiled, lifting up her arm. “Returning the sentiment, I'm sure you'll do the same for me.”


	7. Equal Minds, Nervous Smiles

That night, Shoot sat in his room, leaning against the open terrace door with the moon as his light. He had Skuld's notebook resting against his thigh. They were a catalogue of her thoughts after her first encounter with the metal creatures. Her initial shock reflected his own, though she wrote in quick lines and short hand. Shoot took notes of things she found particularly strange and heeded her written warning.

_Be careful: activated by aura – can hide out of sight._

The note was scribbled in the margin hurriedly, perhaps an afterthought, but it was good to have the reminder. “Shoot.” He heard the call of his name and brought his head up quickly. He gave Skuld permission to enter, but she hesitated.

“Ah, I'll need you to open the door for me.”

“Sure. Give me a moment.”

He set the book off to the side and crossed his room, opening the door slowly. It was more of a habit beaten into him by Morel. Literally and figuratively. Seeing that she was alone, he pulled open the door fully and stepped aside to let her in.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, voice touched with amusement.

“Just being cautious,” he replied, checking the hallway before he closed the door again.

He turned and saw her setting down the tray she carried in. Her attention diverted to the book on the ground, hand hovering over the tray edges.

“Sorry, I was still reading.”

“That's not a problem,” Skuld replied, glancing up to him quickly. “I just lost myself for a moment.”

He hummed and stepped around her, taking his place once again. He took up the book and flipped it over, going back a few pages.

“It wasn't too complicated, was it?” She folded her hands on her lap. “I was just writing in a stream of consciousness, trying to get down every mental word.”

“It was fine.” He reassured, smiling a bit. He handed the book over, and she took it with both hands, idly rubbing her thumbs over it. “It's good to know your thoughts, I suppose. Helps me see it from a different perspective.”

“Did you come up with any ideas of your own?” She set the book down.

Shoot shook his head. “Can't say I did.”

“Hm, that's okay. It wouldn't do either of us any good to overthink things, will it?”

“No, I… suppose not.” Shoot spoke softly, but he agreed.

Skuld had everything detailed in her notebook. Shoot glanced down towards it as he took another sip. They filled the silence with drinking. The moonlight brightened up the room considerably. The guard turned his head, gazing towards the outside. The moon was only half full, and it was still so bright. Amazing.

“ Did you learn anything about who moved your mirror?”

“Not at all.” Her voice was a bit irritated but also dismissive. “I'm sure everything'll come to light soon.”

The confidence was good. He just let out a small, thoughtful hum and put faith in her words. She seemed sure of herself. He wouldn't take that from her.

“I know it's probably a bit late for this, but…”

Skuld's voice gained his attention again. He turned his head towards her. He rested his cup on his thigh.

“Your name sounds familiar, but you know how things linger in whispers.  Should I be aware of some great reputation? ”

“It's possible, I suppose. I'm a hired guard with my teacher, Morel, and my friend, Knuckle. We're actually mercenaries by trade and help out with causes that, ah, catch our interest, you could say.” He stared down at his lap. “But I suppose that's how every mercenary is, hm.”

Skuld sat up, setting the cup down onto the floor.

“I do know you then! Or rather I know of you.” She clapped her hands together. “I should have put it together earlier when Lady Maiko described you. She didn't say your name.”

“Our reputation is –”

“– That there are three strangely named men who can handle any situation without a sword.” She brought a hand up to her mouth, laughing a bit. “Your names all change depending on who's telling the rumour, but I thought that 'Shoot' rang a bell.”

“Don't get any high hopes now.” Shoot reached out, setting the cup further from himself.

“Too late for that,” she joked.

He smiled a bit to one side. “I'm sad to say that your name or description hasn't come up in any of my circles.”

“Probably for the better,” she admitted. “After all, I'm much happier with my crafts instead of the drama of misinformed noblemen.”

Curiosity hit him now. He leaned forward a bit. “And what was it that made you accept the Enoshima's proposal?”

“Lady Maiko is less of a misinformed noble. If anything, her superstitions led her to me, and they brought me to you.”

Shoot's posture straightened at the ease of the statement. Skuld caught herself immediately and clapped her hands together, pressing her index fingers against her lips. Her dark brown eyes were wide with shock at her own words.

“What I meant!” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “I meant that her superstitions gave us the chance to work together. You obviously have an understanding of what's going on, and us working together is infinitely better than working alone.” She took another break to let the words process. “Does that make sense?”

Shoot nodded his head and smiled. He relaxed as she spoke. An unspoken pressure lifted with his ease. “It makes sense,” he breathed out, resting a hand on his knee.  They shared a brief laugh,  all uneasiness flowing out the open door . Skuld stacked the cups back onto the tray.  Once that was out of the way, s he picked herself up and  sat opposite Shoot , gazing around outside as well. He watched her, quietly, having nothing to say. He just admired the way that she looked in the moonlight, how her calmness complimented the quiet night.  He stared down at his hand, holding the mental image of her profile contrasted by the natural lighting. He let out a soft huff of a laugh and brought his attention back to the outside.

Skuld tipped her head up, looking to the moon. “How did your companions react to you coming back here by yourself?”

“Knuckle, he didn't really like the idea at first. This was sprung up on us so suddenly.  My teacher was the one who encouraged me.  A fter talking about it with  him , he found this to be a great opportunity.” He took a moment to pause. “I figured  that… he wouldn't encourage me to do something I could never do .  So I took this as a chance for discipline, and so here I am.”

He looked to Skuld, and their eyes met. She nodded, taking in his words, and her gaze strayed. He didn't turn away just yet. He tucked his hand into his sleeve.

The words came easily to him. “And what about you?”

“I'll have to admit that this situation is a little weird for me.” She laughed a bit. “Investigating and preparing a counter strike. I'm not usually so hands on, you could say. I'm typically brought in only after the damage was done. Outside of this, I'm a crafter as well an exorcist.” She lifted up her hand, flicking it with an idle motion. “I'm used to being called in for a short while. I give my advice; I'm paid for my services, and then I'm out just as quickly.”

She turned her head towards Shoot, brows lifting slightly. “Apparently, they knew the conditions I worked under, so we made an arrangement.”

“An arrangement…?” Shoot's voice was genuinely curious.

Skuld turned her head away, staring down the moonlit wood of the terrace. “My cooperation comes with a caveat. If you haven't heard, then I suppose it's better that way.” She glanced back to him. “It's complicated.”

Shoot gave a reassuring smile. “I can understand complicated. Don't worry. I won't ask.”

She returned his expression. “I'm glad for the opportunity, if anything. It broadens my horizons.”

“I feel the same.”

Skuld's smile eased, and she relaxed once again. “Tomorrow, we should be ready to take the offensive. We should start drawing out this threat, yes?”

“Mm, I think so.” Shoot leaned his head back against the door frame, tipping his gaze heavenward. “I'll have to convene with the guards, but I think they'll be able to figure something without much guidance from me.”

“Good.” Skuld sighed softly. “No causalities.”

Shoot shook his head. “We won't. They're smart men. They'll keep themselves out of the fight.”

“We can only hope.” Skuld made a soft noise and pulled herself up.

She walked over to pick up the tray once again. Shoot stood as well, escorting her back to the door. She paused and looked to him, draping her arms over the tray.

“When all of this is over, I'd really like to sit down and talk with you for a while. You're just so…” She searched for the words before finally settling with, “… It's very easy to talk to you.”

“ Honestly,  I feel the same. Let's… afterward, let's meet up.”

She nodded her head and turned back towards the door. “Good night, Shoot.”

“Good night, Skuld. We've a busy day tomorrow.”

“Yes. We do.”

They shared a parting smile before turning away from each other. Shoot paused in the doorway, wondering if he should walk her to her room. Just in case. Just because he wanted to… He pulled back the thought and shook his head. No, no. He would see her again tomorrow.

He could wait until then.

 


	8. Feelings Shared, Hunter Found

The next morning was strangely still. 

Shoot let out soft noises as  he stretched out his arms . His hair hung down his back freely, pooling over his bed cot.  He slept well, surprisingly.  It was  probably the best he had slept since he got here. He had been wracked with anxiety when this first started, alleviated only by moments of training or practicing on the soroban. He didn't sleep well, but it was alright.

Upon his return, things  were much better. Perhaps because he understood the situation now? Maybe because  the Enoshima were far away, safe somewhere, and their immediate safety wasn't a concern ? He wasn't sure,  and they were all possible in equal measure. There was still that pressure to do well on his own, but Skuld being here proved that he would n't have to carry out the mission on his own . That took a lot of the tension away. He was glad for that.

He reached back, gathered his hair into his hand, and tugged it over his shoulder. He  contemplated his day, hitting all of the bullet points in his mind as he twisted his hair into one spiral.  H e ' d to confer with the guards and make sure that everything was going well with them. From there, he ' d give them instructions on what to do in case there was an attack. Most of that was chalked up to “Don't join the fight. Please.” Always adding a please.

Great. He had a plan.  Shoot worked his hair into a bun  and stood on his feet, continuing on with his day.  He went about his morning quietly.  His thoughts  fully emptied from his mind as he bathed. He touched the sloppy bun he fixed his hair into, water dripping down his arm. He wondered how Skuld slept — and immediately regretted it.  It wasn't appropriate to think of her while he was in the bath. He wasn't being lewd or anything. He just– Ah. This was complicated. He switched his thoughts over to something else.

Getting dried and dressed was a quick affair. When he exited out of the bath house, he was a bit surprised to run into Skuld. They blinked at each other and relaxed immediately.

           “ Heading off to breakfast?” Shoot asked.

“Actually, I was…” Skuld pointed over his shoulder before drawing her hand back. “ Sure. It won't take too much of my time.”

Shoot glanced back to where she was pointing, feeling a bit guilty for interrupting her morning plans.

“Oh,” he stared. “If you were already busy, then –”

She lifted up a hand to stop him. “There's plenty of time to get what I need to do done. Have you talked to the guards yet?”

Shoot shook his head slowly. “No not yet.”

“Then we'll fall into step once breakfast is over. You tend to your duties and I to mine.”

He was on edge when she asked him about the guards, but her words disarmed him. He nodded his head with a sheepish smile. Well, at least he felt better now about asking her to join him. They headed back inside, filling in the silence with talks about dreams.

“Mine are usually… a bit disturbing,” Skuld admitted. She quickly glanced up to Shoot and then looked away. “But recently, the past month or so, I've been dreaming about a store.”

“A store?”

“It's almost silly,” she mumbled, folding her hands together. “Just a store with an endless hallway. I'm walking down its corridor, trying to get to the door on the other side. As I progress, children walk hurriedly past me to play with the fabric or the  decorations. It's always the same children, always seven of them.”

“I wonder if that means if you'll be expecting your own somewhere in the future.”

There was a heavy beat of silence. “Maybe…”

Shoot picked up on the  heaviness and decided to pull away from it.

“I didn't dream, or rather, I can't remember if I did.” He lifted his chin and stared up at the sky for a moment. “I usually forget my dreams whenever something's going to happen.”

Skuld laughed softly. “You're a bit of a clairvoyant, aren't you?”

Shoot let out a soft sigh, lips curling up at the edges. “I suppose so.”

They entered into the house and settled down for breakfast. They were joined by the guards not too long after. Shoot left with them when breakfast was finished. He  told them the situation at hand. He and Skuld had found a very important lead and were going to work on drawing out the assailant. It was only a matter of time before the attacker was drawn out, and he wanted the other guards to be safe. They all replied with a unified “Yes sir!”. Shoot turned his face away to hide his smile. He dismissed the guards and  watched them go. Instead of joining them for the patrol, he headed to find Skuld. His part of the plan had been fulfilled. Things were going well.

 

\- † -

 

When Shoot entered into the room, Skuld was laying down an obi on the ground, fingers plucking at the fabric. She glanced up to him and stood up, dusting her kimono off. 

“You made it just in time.”

“What were you doing?” He looked from her to the obi on the floor.

“ Finishing up my traps.” She flattened her hands against her obi. 

“How will they–”

He turned his attention to her and blinked. When he left her, she looked so rested. Now, she  seemed… tired. Her actions weren't sluggish, but the light in her eyes had dimmed a bit. He must have looked concerned because she stared at him with a confused expression.

“Is everything okay?”

He came back to himself and nodded quickly. “Yes, sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts.” Before she could ask, he nodded his head, once again acknowledging the accessory on the floor. “Tell me about your traps.”

Skuld relaxed a bit and spoke, “Faust's Children. That's what I call them. While you were with the guards, I've laid some of my creations in this area of the house. Within or around each one is a creature ready to strike when an unfamiliar aura comes within range. When they do, I'll know exactly where we should go.” 

That sounded like a good idea, but it explained why she looked so tired. She was stretching herself thin. Shoot took a step back and turned himself towards the door. She followed after him, quietly closing the door behind him.

“You'll have to be careful. I don't want you to overexert yourself.”

She laughed and peered up at him. “I'm tough, remember? But, I'm being smart about this. Don't worry.”

“ I've no doubt that you are. I suppose I'm just worrying. I apologise.” 

There was another bout of silence that fell between them,  but this time, it wasn't awkward as the one an hour or so before.  Skuld stared at him and smiled softly. 

“The concern is appreciated. It's not often those I work with look out for my benefit because they want to.”

Shoot was a bit hesitant when he replied. He didn't want to seem presumptive. “I'd like to think we're  comrades, more than just people who work together.”

Another beat and Skuld nodded. As they continued walking, she replied simply with “I'd like to think so too.”

Shoot felt relaxed enough to draw his attention back to the task at hand. They walked around the estate, trying to bide their time until the traps activated. They flit through the hallways,  occasionally popping into the other rooms to check on the traps. None of the rooms were disturbed. No one had been here yet. Shoot and Skuld continued to the outside, checking on the guards and making sure everything was okay.

There was a brief moment where something flicked through the air. Shoot glanced up to the sky, and Skuld paused in her walking. They held their breaths. 

An explosion interrupted the silence. The Enoshima guards shouted in surprise. Skuld spun around, facing where the explosion came from.

“The trap's been set off,” she stated.

“This is our chance. Let's go!”

They hurried towards the explosion, stopping when a figure landed on the roof in front of them. A tall, gangly man stood with his arms down at his sides. He held a bomb in each hand; his smile was wide and toothy.

“Clever, clever,” he called down to them. He lifted a bomb up to his face. “I'll have to reward you. Tell me where the Enoshima have gone.”

“Find them yourself,” Skuld countered.

Shoot nodded his head once in agreement, lowering his stance down.

“Aah, keeping things interesting. I have to thank you, but I won't give up so easily. Tell me where they are.”

This time, he was met with silence. The stranger laughed, leaning his head back. His arm fell down at his side again.

“That's fine.” He brought his head down and grinned down at them. “Prepare to die.”

 


	9. Warring Forms, Syncing Minds

The man they had been looking for had finally appeared. He stood tall, but with his long limbs and tilted head, he looked like a puppet being held up by strings. He stared down Shoot and Skuld, fingers curled around the bombs. Shoot heard the hurried thudding of feet against wood. Hopefully, the few guards inside were leaving as were the others. He didn't know how this battle would go.

         “Why did the Tayasu send you?”

That laugh again. It cut through the air and reverberated through their bones. Shoot curled his fingers into a loose fist. The laugh stopped; the noise rolled through the air before fading away. There was a beat of silence, leaving Shoot and Skuld unsettled.

         “You honestly think that the Tayasu would send someone else to deal with a personal matter?” He lifted a hand, touching a bomb to his chest. “This is for my family~”

His smile widened, and he flicked out the bombs towards the duo. They bounded out of the way. Skuld grabbed the layers of her kimono just at the knee and tugged open the garment, giving herself more movement. Shoot watched her movements from the corner of his eye. He could quite tell what she was doing, but she didn't seem injured. He kept his gaze on the Tayasu progeny.

         “I'm Cage Tayasu, son of the proud! strong! _noble_ Tayasu lineage!” He pouted for a moment before laughing.

He jumped into the air. Shoot went on the defensive. He gripped his haori sleeve tight.

         “And you're _in my way!_ ”

He cast off the bombs in his hands, sending them in Shoot and Skuld's direction. Shoot's aura flared out as he dodged the bomb coming for him. “Don't let them touch you!” came out as a hurried warning. Skuld's voice spiked up off to his right, disappearing as quickly as it had sounded. He jerked his head towards her voice. From what he could see, she was fine. He sensed movement and brought his attention back suddenly. He lowered his head to avoid the bomb. He heard it smash behind him as he ran forward. He glanced around, looking for Cage. The Tayasu was crouched on another roof, staring directly at Shoot.

Shoot pulled off his sleeve, aura increasing in density. Cage's eyes widened in delight. He stood up quickly, throwing open his arms.

         “Now _this_ is exciting!”   
  
  


\- † -  
  


Cage was trying to keep them separated. He knew that they would be more of a threat together. At least, that's how Shoot figured it. It was a matter of numbers and of not fully knowing what they both were capable of. Hm, maybe all of those private lessons were paying off. One of the bombs exploded right in front of his feet, and he jumped back at the explosion. He was too late to cover himself. One of the metal rods had come to life once again and jumped straight for his legs. He groaned in pain as they scratched through his hakama and latched onto his skin. He channeled enough of his aura there to protect himself, but that only seemed to fuel the creatures on more. He let out a pained cry as one of the rod creatures scratched through his skin. He dropped down onto one leg and curled his fingers into the dirt. He knew pain, but this was a building, constant stinging that didn't quite form into a larger fire. It was enough to slow him down for now.

         "Shoot!" Skuld shouted, making her way over to him.

Shoot turned his head slightly towards her voice. He then diverted his attention, looking around to see where Cage went. At first, the Tayasu was nowhere to be seen, but then when Shoot glanced down, he saw Cage appear behind Skuld. Before her name could form in his voice, she spun around to protect herself. Her obi lengthened instead of unraveled and crisscrossed in front of her face. Shoot couldn't see how Cage had attacked her, but the form was enough to push her back.

She called out to him again — "Shoot, are you okay?!" — and he groaned softly in response. He was injured, but he didn't want to shout that. He needed to get up, get closer to her, but it was different. Skuld's aura built and flared out wildly from her person. Shoot could feel the power flowing from her and sent his auxiliary hands towards her as an offensive backup. Cage was so preoccupied in attacking her again that he was caught off guard by the disembodied punch. Skuld turned quickly and ran back towards Shoot. She knelt down beside him, her hands on his shoulders.

         "Can you stand?"

         "I can try," he grunted. He lifted his head to look towards where Cage was. "Those… rods've gotten to me."

         She dipped her head down at his legs. "I can try to pull them away."

         "Exorcising them might take too long," he replied, keeping a look out.

She went quiet and nodding her head. He flicked his gaze over to her and saw that she was deep in thought. She tugged at his shoulders and pulled him up to his feet. He hissed in pain when he stood then. It wasn't so bad. It wasn't so bad, he tried o convince himself. Standing made the pain more intense, sure, but he could bare the pain. He curled his fingers against her shoulder as he steadied himself. She glanced up at him and kept a hand on his back. It was comforting, he thought regardless of why it was she kept it there.

         "I don't see him," Skuld muttered.

         "Me neither."

Shoot chewed his bottom lip and hissed again. The rod creatures weren't scratching at him as intensely, but they were desperately trying to.

         "He's planning something."

         "He'll come to us sooner or later."

         "We have to try and attack."

They looked to each other suddenly, surprised at their unison. It was good to know that they were on the same page. Skuld turned her head, and Shoot cycled through their options. They started moving. Trying to keep aware while moving was much better than being standing targets. Why make it easy for him? Shoot stopped; his legs started shaking badly now. The stinging pain was spreading, and he considered letting Skuld exorcise th–

         “Skuld,” he said, glancing around once more before facing her. “Do you think you can remove the rod beings?”

         “Of course. I can work quickly if I need to, but I also have a plan.”

Shoot gave pause and tilted his head slightly. He leaned downm and she whispered her plan against his ear. His lips and cheeks were trembling from the pain, and he was surprised when he felt a hand on his hip. She patted him gently, as if trying to ease his pain. A smile teased on his lips as she spoke to him. They jolted when Cage threw another bomb close to their location.

Shoot felt the splinters of wood graze his ear before he pulled away. Skuld dropped down and began to work on removing the creatures. The three fists hovered at Shoot's side, ready to strike out at any moment.

         “You didn't forget about me, did you?” The Tayasu shouted in a singsong voice.

Cage stretched out his left arm, revealing that his sleeve had been ripped off. Shoot sighed loudly as the stinging finally stopped. It didn't disappear at all, but it wasn't much of a problem. He went for another projectile strike and cast a glance down to Skuld. She pulled away with her hands cupped together, and Shoot brought his attention up to Cage.

Cage fought back with more of his rod creatures – but they were coming from under his skin. Shoot felt a strange feeling crawl over his body and was only distracted from it when a surge of pain wracked through him. He shook his head hard and called his hands back to himself. There were numerous scratch marks. The rod beings tried to get at him, but for reasons he was unable to clearly see, they didn't latch onto him like the others hand. He felt a burst of aura beside him, and he knew that Skuld was ready to continue. Without a word, she rushed forward, and Shoot followed behind after her.

He took point in front of her, and more of the bombs came their way. They dodged around the explosives, only reacting when they were nicked. More than once, Shoot had barely dodged the sentient rods aiming for him. He rushed forward ahead of Skuld and jumped up at Cage for a direct attack. With two floating fists and his able right arm, he kept the Tayasu on his feet. They fought along the rooftop. Shoot was too close for Cage to throw another bomb, or perhaps he just didn't want to take that chance. While he was doing fine on his own, Cage was his own contender. Whenever Shoot pushed him back, Cage hit harder and sometimes faster. Shoot stumbled backwards, geta catching on the wood.

Cage grabbed Shoot by the collar and grinned, drawing his left hand back and revealing the numerous rods he had under his skin. The unsettled feeling grew again, violently and quickly. “One down,” Cage said. His voice had dropped down low, echoing his smug satisfaction. The metal scrapped through Shoot's kimono and against his neck and shoulders, but Cage was launched backwards before his attack could fully connect. Shoot staggered forward, watching as his two disembodied hands pushed the assassin backwards.

Skuld lifted up on the third hand, flying by Shoot's vision quickly. He watched her quietly, worried that she would fall, hoping that this would put a quick end to things. She opened out her hands, sending twisting, thrashing creatures at Cage. His screams echoed through the air as his own minions turned on him. Skuld followed up with a punch to his jaw, actually catching Shoot by surprise. He willed his hands back to him, and Skuld dropped down to the roof, watching as Cage fell. His body hit the roof and rolled off to the ground. Shoot and Skuld hurried after him.

Skuld's hands were shaking when she held them out. Shoot leaned down to check on Cage. He was conscious, and there were numerous rods stabbed into his body, wriggling lazily. A yarn being around was wrapped around each one, moving with the rod creatures' movements. He jerked his hand back when the yarn entities swelled and deflated quickly. The rod beings stilled, their energy suddenly sapped. Skuld groaned softly, and Shoot turned to face her. He walked closer, and she fell against him, fingers curled in his kimono.

         “I apologise,” she said. Her voice was breathless though she tried to be strong. “I'm just… very tired.”

         Shoot shook his head. “I understand. You… The plan was excellent.”

She smiled against him and then pulled back to look at him properly. Her gaze then shifted over towards the unconscious man not too far from them.

         “We should call the guards back and restrain him.”

         “I can do that,” Shoot said quickly. “Y-you just… you should rest.”

         Skuld drew away and rubbed her shaking hands together. “Oh no you don't. I'm a tough one, Shoot. You don't have to worry about me.” She took slow and careful steps. Her body must have been so weak from using so much of her energy. “Let's do this. Let's get the Enoshima back and then… we both can rest.”

He held his breath for just a moment, body relaxing at her ending words. He shook himself out of his thoughts and agreed to help her out. First, he had to wrap up his work, and then he could daydream sometime later.

 


	10. Our Celebrations, Begin Reuniting

The guards returned and eagerly detained Cage. Shoot stared at the assassin's arms, waiting to see if the rod creatures came to life again. They never did, and he relaxed once again. After sending off the messenger, Skuld coaxed him to return back to the inside and fetched the medical supplies. They helped each other – out of stubborn headedness and gratefulness shared in equal parts. Skuld's hands were still shaking as she fixed Shoot up. He actually gave it a moment of thought before he placed a hand over Skuld's. She blinked up at him, almost startled by his touch.

           “Thank you,” he began, meeting her eyes surely. He opened his mouth to speak again but ended up dipping his gaze down low. “I really appreciate you being here. Your plan was perfect, and we made it out alive.”

“Just quick thinking,” she said offhandedly, watching his face. “I wouldn't have thought of it if it weren't for your ability.”

He lifted his head and met her gaze again. She gave him a smile and a brief nod.

“It's rather impressive,” she assured, “and I thought I was unique.”

It was a joke; he knew it, but that didn't stop the words from automatically flying out his mouth.

“Yes, you are.”

They stared at each other in shook and looked away, absorbing the three simple words. Skuld muttered something like “Flattering” and began to pull her hand away. She flipped her hand palm up and brushed her fingers against his. Shoot immediately focused on her as though looking for answers to the action. There was none; she just packed the supplies away quietly. He cleared his throat and carefully stood up.

“We should probably have something to eat and rest for the day.”

Skuld hummed in agreement and stood up. “I'll go check on the captive while you prepare things.”

“Ah.” Shoot followed after her as she walked out of the room. “Something personal against him?”

Skuld laughed gently. “No, no. Let's just say I don't like it when anyone touches my things.”

He smiled at her laugh and was amused by her words. He rubbed his hand over his stomach. 

“We'll meet up in a little bit, yes?” She turned her attention back towards him.

Shoot nodded. “Yes.”

They split apart, heading in their own separate directions. He paused to watch her leave, hoping that she would take her time as she went about her individual chores. He caught himself worrying again and lifted his hand to the back of his neck. He turned away and headed down his hall. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, but he suspected he was just being paranoid.

By the time they met up again, Shoot had fixed his haori and checked up on the guards. He figured he had the time if Skuld was going about her own business. He asked for a couple of guards to help him cook their meals and all of them came. They felt there was no reason to do more patrols if the Tayasu assassin had been restrained. Shoot felt as though they were being a bit too comfortable but was soon easily swept up in the good feelings. He supposed it wouldn't be a bad thing to relax for an evening.

The food was fixed with little of Shoot's help. The guards insisted that he and Skuld sit  at the table – and that they sit side by side when  they were  settled . Shoot nervously declined but was happy enough to sit across from her. There was food, tea, and sake passed about. Shoot was so caught up in the  positive energy that he forgot himself for a while.

It was a mini-celebration between them all, and it felt… glorious. Shoot so rarely felt involved in private events like this. Tonight was different, so pleasantly different. He glanced over to Skuld, and their eyes met across the table. He didn't notice  that the table had gone quiet as they stared at each other. There was a connection of unspoken words, of new trust, of new understanding, of a new relationship.  _Companionship!_

Yes. That…

She looked left and right quickly and shrank in on herself. He noticed that she became smaller and looked around as well. The other guards laughed knowingly. The cloud of murmurs returned. Shoot and Skuld felt comfortable once again. They nodded to each other and lifted their glasses to each other. They took a long drink, set down their drinks, and shared a smile. 

Truly, there was no harm in relaxing for an evening.

 

\- † -

 

The house swelled with life again after the Enoshima had returned. Upon the news of Cage being detained, the daughter wept openly in her relief.  Shoot felt a mix of emotions but was glad that she was, in  her own way, happy about how things turned out.  He joined Knuckle and Morel who gave him their own brand of congratulations.

“Ah, you survived.”

“You didn't hide away, did you?”

… Nothing but support.

The Enoshima milled about trying to assess the damage, what could be cleaned, and what needed to be repaired. Shoot managed to excuse himself through the chaos of being thanked and greeted by the family members and guards that had left the estate. He stepped out onto the terrace and took a deep breath. He looked around slowly, listening to the voices just behind the sliding doors behind him. There Skuld stood off to his left. He stepped closer to her.

“We work well together,” she stated, standing up straight and peering up at him.

“I think so too.” Shoot touched his hand to the railing.

“ I'll be lingering here for a while. Lord Juro wants to talk about compensation.”

Shoot's words came hesitantly, almost as if he didn't want it to be true. “… We leave tomorrow.”

“Oh. Hm. That's fine,” Skuld replied quietly. She straightened up her posture slightly. “I hope you'll be safe.”

He smiled. “Sure thing.” He gestured towards her. “ How did you sleep? Are you feeling  any  better ?”

“ Significantly but not enough,” she replied with a tilt of her head. “It'll be a bit before I get my energy back. I hope that I'll be back to normal by the time I leave.”

Shoot nodded his head, agreeing softly. The door slid open again and cut him off from his thoughts. They turned their attention to the doorway, and Knuckle was standing there. Shoot motioned his hand towards Knuckle, speaking to Skuld,

“This is my friend. He, Palm, and I work under our teacher, Morel.”

Skuld came closer. “ I'm Skuld.”

“Knuckle. Thank you for taking care of him.”

She shook her head, glancing down to her hands. “No, I… I think we took care of each other, honestly.”

Shoot glanced over to her and smiled slightly at what Skuld had said. He leaned his head forward and nodded a bit. Yes, they really did, didn't they?  Knuckle nudged his arm against Shoot's, grabbing his attention silently.

“We're assembling in the great hall again.” Knuckle nodded his head to Skuld. “They asked for you too.”

“ I'll be there in a minute.” This, Skuld said to  Shoot.

Shoot nodded his head and turned to face Knuckle.  He saw Knuckle looking back and forth between him and Skuld. Their eyes met after the brief action. Shoot had the grace to look away. “Let's go,” Knuckle muttered, nodding his head towards the door.

They left to the great hall and waited as the guards, maidhands, and  Enoshima family filtered in. Once  Skuld entered, Juro motioned for her and Shoot to come closer and sit side by side in front of the platform stairs.  Shoot and Skuld glanced over to each other and shared a small smile. They glanced back up to the Enoshima set above them.

“We would like to thank you for bringing order back to our home,” Juro began. “Thanks you to you our daughter is safe.”

“What about Cage?” Shoot asked, setting his hand on his thigh.

“We will handle matters with the Tayasu separately now that we have their son,” Maiko said. She lifted her chin up slightly. “But he will be safe in our care.”

“I have no doubts.”

“ Before we send you off tomorrow, you all will be treated with our highest form of gratitude. You will be treated like royalty for as long as you remain with us.”

The Enoshima bowed deeply, hands set on the ground before their knees. The guards on either side bowed as well. Skuld and Shoot looked around between the guards and the Enoshima. Shoot glanced back, trying to get  Knuckle and Morel's reaction. To his surprise, they were bowing too.

 

\- † -

 

The day had been relaxing. The Enoshima kept to their word and made sure everyone was happy and comfortable. The guards regarded the quartet with resp ect. Shoot felt the atmosphere was much more relaxed. He was much more  comfortable with all of them. It didn't feel  as  oppressive.  The night was filled with hearty eating and celebration. Shoot didn't feel as relaxed as he did the previous night, but it was still enjoyable. The mission had gone off without many problems. He met someone knew, and he came out in one piece.  He sighed through his nose, feeling grateful about the situation. 

“ And here I thought I was the only one out this morning.”

Shoot turned at Skuld's voice and smiled to her. He pat the spot next to him, and she came to join him. 

“ They're both getting ready,” Shoot said, curling his fingers against the wood of the terrace. 

“ So you'll be leaving… soon?”

“Soon enough.”

They both started at the voice that sounded behind them. Morel stared down at the two as he approached. Shoot moved to stand, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Morel chuckled, pressed a hand to his shoulder, and gently guided Shoot back down into his place. Skuld couldn't help but laugh a bit. Morel came to her left side and greeted her silently.

“As a show of my thanks for taking care of him, I would like to invite you back to our home.  Consider it something of a vacation at our expense.”

Shoot sat up straighter at the proposal. Not that he was upset by it (not even a little!), but he was… he was just.… Well, he was caught off guard! Skuld expressed the same surprise to a small extent. She glanced over to Shoot who only stared at her with widened eyes. 

A small part of him wanted her to say yes, repeated it over and over. He always missed it when she agreed. Morel chuckled loudly and yelped out,

“Great!” He turned his head towards Shoot. “We're heading out now. Are you ready?”

Shoot nodded his head quietly and stood up. Skuld followed. 

“I'll walk you to the gate?” Her voice went up in question.

Shoot smiled at her as Morel began to walk away. “Yes,” he replied. “I'd like that.”

They followed Morel down to the front gate. The Enoshima weren't available to say goodbye, but Morel left their thanks and regard with the maids.

“I won't be able to join you now,” Skuld told them, once they made it to the front gate. “When I'm completely finished here, then I'll be able to join you.”

“Ah, when you do…” Morel reached into his sleeve and produced a small scroll. “… here is how you can find us.”

“ Thank you. I'll be sure to use this.”

Morel and Knuckle bowed to her before leaving Shoot alone with her. He smiled slightly at her and offered to double check the scroll.

“Not that I believe he's wrong, but you know… Just making sure,” he muttered.

“It never hurts.”

He laughed gently and took one end, unfurling it and reading it over. It was also true that he wanted to make sure that Morel didn't leave anything embarrassing within. It wasn't likely that he would, but it was really “just in case”. When he was satisfied, he furled it back up with her help. She held the other side; his hand was on top. Their fingers brushed together.

He almost didn't want to ask, but he couldn't help himself.

“We'll see each other again?”

And though he succeeded, it was hard to hide his elation at her response.

“Very soon. I promise.”

He drew his hand away, fingers curling once they were at his side. He turned towards the gate to follow after his companions. 

“Take care of yourself!” Skuld called after him.

Shoot smiled and looked back to her. “You too.”

 


End file.
